Fruit-tray.



PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1-903.

J. H. GUNBY. FRUIT TRAY.

T oN r JH 6MM Edin) 1? UNTTED STATES llatented September 1, 1903.1

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH HENRY GUNBY, OFCHICO, CALIFORNIA,` ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMASHIRAM MORQAN, OF BUT'IE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

FRUIT-TRAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,607, datedSeptember 1, 1903.

Application filed September 8, 1902. Serial No. 122,624. (No model.)

T0 all whom, t may concern:

Beit known that I, JOSEPH HENRY GUNBY,a citizen of the United States,residing at Chico, in the county of Butte and State of California, haveinvented a new and useful Fruit-Tray, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to trays employed for the purpose of dryingfruits, vegetables, and similar products, either in the open ai; or indrying-kilns; and the object of the invention is to produce asimplyconstructed easilyhandled tray which will contain the minimumamount of material and possess the maximum strength and durability.

Another object of the invention is to produce a tray from which brokenparts maybe readily detached and a new or duplicate part insertedwithout destroying any part of the tray.

The invention consists in certain novel features of the construction, ashereinafter shown and described, and specified in the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of one of the improved trays viewed from above. Fig. 2 is aperspective view viewed from beneath. Fig. 3 is a transverse section ofa number of the trays superimposed.

Trays of the class to which this invention relates are usually abouteight feet long, three feet wide, and about two inches high, the sidesand ends of one-inch material and the bottom of thin strips secured bytheir ends to the bottoms ot' the sides and further secured bylongitudinal cleats outside of the bottom members and with one or moreintermediate longitudinal cleats secured by the ends to the end membersof the frame and also to the transverse bottom members.

In the above construction of trays the parts are all firmly nailedtogether, and in case of breakage of any part the broken part can bereplaced only by partially destroying the tray and expend ing a largeamount of labor thereon.

In the improved tray herewith illustrated provision is made forreplacing broken parts without disturbing the other parts or partiallydestroying them.

The improvements may be applied to anysized tray, and consists in sidemembers 10 11, provided with longitudinal grooves or seats 14 15,opening inward and disposed near the bottom of the side members. The endmembers 12 13 are formed narrower than the side members, with theirlower edges in transverse alinement with the upper sides of thelongitudinal grooves, as shown, so that the inlets to the longitudinalgrooves are unobstructed. The bottom of the tray consists in a pluralityof thin iiexible strips removably engaging the grooves or seats 14 15 bytheir ends, as shown, the open ends of the grooves permitting thesections forming the bottom of the tray to be readily inserted withoutdisturbing other parts. When thus arranged and the plurality of sections16 forming the bottom placed in position, two small nails in the endsections will iirmly secure all of the sections in place, as theintermediate sections are prevented from longitudinal or verticalInovement by the grooves 14 l5, and the stationary end sections willprevent any lateral movement to the sections.

By this construction it will be noted the lower edges of the sidemembers 10 11 project below the lower surfaces of the bottom sections16, and within this space is arranged a diagonal staybrace 17, securedby its ends only with nails passing through the stay-brace and the endsection 16 into the end members 12 13. Secured by their ends to the sidemembers 10 11 are transverse tie-braces 18, spaced apart, as shown. Anynumber of these tiebraces may be employed, but generally four will besufficient, as shown. These tie-braces 18 perform a threefoldfunction-first, as braces to prevent the side members from speading;second, as supports to the diagonal brace 17 and bottom sections 1G,and, third, as cleats to hold the trays separated when a number of themare superimposed, and thus provide for the circulation of air betweenthe IOO insert a new diagonal brace, and nail it fast, all of which maybe done Without disturbing the tie-braces or any other part.

In the eventof the breakage of any of the sections 16, forming thebottom of the tray, the Vbroken sections may be readily removed and anew section sprung into its place by bending the section, as illustratedat 19 in Fig. 3, Which action may be accomplished, as will be Obvious,Without disturbing any other part of the tray.

Another very important advantage in this manner of forming the tray isthe comparatively feW nails required, as inthe fullsized standard trayof this construction less than twenty-five nails are required, whereasin a tray of the same capacity as'ordinarily constructed from onehundred to one hundred and thirty nails are required to secure the sameresults.

It Will be noted that the transverse tiebraces 18, adjacent to the endsof the tray7 are set some distance back from the ends, so that thenailsWhich secure the diagonal bracemember 17 are exposed', Wherebytheymay beinserted and removed Without interfering with the transverse tie-bars.By this means the diagonal tie-bar may be readily removed When broken,as above noted, and the nails drawn Without interfering with thetransverse tie-bar.

The trays may be constructed in any required proportions and modiiied inminor particulars Without departing from the principle of the inventionor sacricing any of its advantages.

I-Iaving thus described the invention, what is claimed is A fruit-traycomprising side and end members rigidly associated, the side membersextending below the end members and being provided in the extendedportions With longitudinal grooves extending throughout their entirelength and adapted to form seats for transverse members forming thebottom of the tray, a plurality of braces extending transversely acrossthe bottom of the tray and rigidly secured to the under surface of the lside members, a diagonally-disposed staybrace secured at its extremitiesto the end members of the'tray and supported intermediate of its ends bythe cross-braces, and a bottom `comprising a plurality of flexiblestrips of Wood disposed transversely of the

